Essays on Empathy

Release Date: May 18, 2021

Adventure, point-and-click, 2D, package, indie games, experimental/artistic, singleplayer

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Essays on Empathy is a collection of small games from Deconstructeam developed for various Game Jams, focusing on a creative and unique approach to the stories and mechanics used.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Essays on Empathy is a collection of 10 short games created for Game Jams by Deconstructeam, a studio known for The Red Strings Club and Gods Will Be Watching. Apart from the possibility to learn about unique mechanics and stories in each of the games, you will also find concept art with detailed documentation related to the creation of a specific game.

Plot

Each of the 10 Essays on Empathy productions focuses on a different theme, story, and way of telling it, through the use of unique procedures and mechanics. From a schoolgirl living in the belief that her skeleton doesn't belong to her, to a hit man working in a florist shop.

Mechanics

The collection offers a wide variety of genres, often presented in an unconventional style. There are platform games, metroidvania, point and click adventure games, horror games or flower arranging simulators. The developers also treat us to setting their productions in different realities, thanks to which we can experience a cyberpunk vision of the future, as well as contemporary hardships of everyday life served both in the form of comedy, drama or horror.

Technical aspects

Essays on Empathy features a variety of styles depending on the story. However, pixel art definitely dominates, although often shown from different perspectives, as well as hand-drawn, cartoon-like settings.

The compilation also features an over two-hour long soundtrack created by Paula Ruiz known as Fingerspit, which should please the studio's fans, as it was her songs that resounded while playing The Red Strings Club or Gods Will Be Watching.

Videos and Screens

[1:11] Essays on Empathy launch trailer